• Communication and data exchangewith other systems and databasesis supported• Emergency call orientation locationcan be identified and reported• AIM components can be securedShortly after the TIA-5017 standardwas completed, Belden also discussedthe specifications in its blog. Beldenstated, “The ANSI/TIA-5017 standardwas initiated after the U. S. federal gov-ernment identified a need … It took ateam of cabling, security and admin-istration professionals, along withconsultants who design security sys-tems, to create it.” Belden pointed outthe standard was approximately threeyears in development.

Belden further notes that TIA-5017

“can also be used to leverage infra-structure to protect other assets (peo-ple, property or premises) as a part ofyour overall security plan … Althoughmany standard documents are pre-scriptive, ANSI/TIA-5017 is much moredescriptive. This allows each facilityto develop its own security implemen-tations that will fit current and antic-ipated security needs while stayingwithin budget.”When the standard was in develop-ment, we interviewed CommScope’sMasood Shariff, who led the TIA’sNetwork Security Systems Task Group(see “TIA security standard to coverbroad ground,” June 2014). At the time,he explained, “There are problems withsecurity at all levels, from hacking tobreaking into systems, theft, sabotageand others. The federal government issensitive to the holes that exist in se-curity systems, and wants to close asmany of those holes as possible, for in-dividuals as well as for itself.”One element of the completed stan-dard is security requirements for ca-bling installations with what areknown as protected distributionsystems (PDSs). Shariff explained in2014, “PDS comes straight out of themilitary and security experts from gov-ernment installations.” He cited thisexample: “If you take two pieces ofconduit, normally the connection be-tween them would be transparent. Butfor that connection to be a PDS, thejoint has to be a contrast color—red orblack, for example—to make it visiblyobvious from a distance if the conduithas been tampered with.”Putting the standard in some per-spective, Shariff used a metaphor, say-ing a building’s telecommunicationsinfrastructure is like a soldier. “Thefirst job is to protect self,” he noted.“Make sure the soldier is protectedand secure, not in trouble of any kind.Secondly, look around the environmentand protect it.

“That’s the analogy for the telecomnetwork. It is like a soldier inside thebuilding; it needs to protect itself soit can continue to function. Secondly,protect its environment. Both are criti-cally important.”Shariff further explained, “The no-tion of taking that ‘soldier’ or telecominfrastructure, and applying it to therest of the building and the rest of thecampus is a broader notion that peo-ple hadn’t explored fully. But peopleare now starting to realize it’s a prettygood central nervous system in thebuilding to sense, report, alarm anyevent that might occur.”

Approximately 18 months after the
publication of the ANSI/TIA-5017 standard, we will continue to follow the
manner in which the specifications are
implemented, and continue to report
our findings to you. We also encourage
you to share with us your experiences
specifying or implementing the ANSI/
TIA-5017 standard. u